About the performer

Kathy Najimy

Rarely do we encounter an actress with such a remarkable range of talents and scope of emotion than that of KATHY NAJIMY. Time and time again, film, television, and stage audiences are enchanted with her captivating performances. Najimy recently made her Broadway debut to rave reviews in Dirty Blonde, directed by James Lapine. She is currently filming The Soul Patrol for Disney with Eric Idle and Tommy Davidson, and she provides the voice of "Peggy Hill" on the Emmy Award-winning FOX Television hit King of the Hill, for which she received an Annie Award nomination. Najimy was last seen in Paramount's Rat Race opposite Whoopi Goldberg and Cuba Gooding Jr; Columbia Pictures' The Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez; and Hope Floats with Sandra Bullock. Najimy starred opposite Kirstie Alley as "Olive" in the NBC comedy Veronica's Closet for which she received an American Comedy Award nomination. She performed in V-Day in Los Angeles and at Madison Square Garden with Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, and Oprah Winfrey.

Najimy's 1996 HBO version of The Kathy and Mo Show entitled Kathy and Mo: The Dark Side won Cable Ace Awards for both her roles as actor and executive producer of the special, and she also received an American Comedy Award nomination. The original Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives, which Kathy also starred in and wrote, garnered her two Cable Ace Awards for the TV special and an Obie Award for the off-Broadway stage show.

Najimy's portrayal of 'Sister Mary Patrick' in the blockbuster Sister Act won her an American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Female in a Motion Picture and a nomination by the Hollywood Women's Press Club for Female Discovery of the Year. Najimy's other film credits include Cats Don't Dance, This Is My Life, The Fisher King, Soapdish, The Hard Way, Topsy and Bunker, Hocus Pocus and Sister Act II (American Comedy Award nomination), the independent feature films Nevada and Zack and Reba opposite Debbie Reynolds, and cameo appearances in It's Pat, Jeffrey, and The Big K.

On television, Najimy was last seen in HBO's If These Walls Could Talk II, with Sharon Stone and Ellen DeGeneres. She was also featured in a three episode arc on CBS' Chicago Hope in which she portrayed an unstable psychiatrist battling manic depression, and the CTW/ FOX Primetime TV Special Cinder Elmo. Additionally, she appeared in the series She TV, Fool For Love, guest starred on the hour drama Early Edition, and was featured in three episodes of the hit sitcom Ellen. Kathy starred in the opening number of the 1995 Academy Awards as well as the Emmy Award-winning TNT special In Search Of Dr. Seuss, a biography of the famous children's author.

Besides six years of The Kathy and Mo Show, other stage credits include roles at The Old Globe and over a dozen musicals including Godspell and Grease. She was a five-year member of the feminist theater group Sisters On Stage, and performed her one-woman show It's My Party.

Najimy directed the critical hit off-Broadway production of Back To Bacharach and David and Don't Get Me Started in New York, as well as the award-winning I Can Put My Fist In My Mouth. She is proud of her four years as resident director of the Emmy Award-winning New Image Teen Theatre.

Najimy was honored with the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center's Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award, as well as L.A. Shanti's Daniel P. Warner Founders Award. Both honors are given to individuals who unselfishly give of themselves in the fight against AIDS. She is an enthusiastic supporter of such causes as AIDS research, women, and animal rights. Najimy has lent her support to a variety of worthy organizations including: L.A. Shanti, Project Angel Food, APLA, GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign Fund, Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS, AMFAR, Planned Parenthood, Voters For Choice, and NARAL. In support of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Najimy posed twice for their popular animal rights campaign "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur," and in 1999 she received PETA's Humanitarian of the Year Award, presented to her by Paul McCartney. As a proud Lebanese-American she supports both the ACC and ADC.

Kathy has been published in The New York Times as well as several national magazines. She contributed a chapter to the Random House book The Choices We Made which was released on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, and voiced Wally Lamb's best-selling novel She's Come Undone. Additionally, she will soon be featured in the upcoming book Starpower which will showcase politically active celebrities.

Najimy resides in Los Angeles with her husband, singer/actor Dan Finnerty, their young daughter Samia, and their dogs Blondie and Happy.